[BridgeBurner]

Aptorian;223837 said:

Fidler is special because his name isn't revealed? Then Hedge, Trotts, Mallet, Antsy, Picker and Blend are probably also special. Maybe they all come from the same royal family

There IS a difference though. All the others were supposedly named by Master Sergeant Uber Drill Master Braven Tooth.

Fiddler was named by Whiskeyjack, in Raraku, and he was the one that named Braven Tooth.

No quotes at hand, so if anyone could oblige, I thank you.


As for the subject at hand, I think the main difference between Fiddler and Gesler is in their character, in how they react to a stupid superior. Fiddler works around stupid orders, and gets away with it (this is a trait good sergeants and corporals have), while Gesler's reaction is a punch in the face. Stormy is probably like Gesler in that, having been Adjutant and all.

If I were a soldier in the 14th, I'd trust the level headed commander over the impulsive/explosive one.

[Aptorian]

BridgeBurner;223902 said:

There IS a difference though. All the others were supposedly named by Master Sergeant Uber Drill Master Braven Tooth.

Fiddler was named by Whiskeyjack, in Raraku, and he was the one that named Braven Tooth.

No quotes at hand, so if anyone could oblige, I thank you.

I think it was Hedge or some other soldier sitting next to Fiddler (I don't think the soldier was named), when WJ adressed them, that mockingly called him Fiddler. It was because they were talking about the broken fiddle he'd picked up in the ruins of the holy city.

And you're right it was Fiddler that gave Braven Tooth his name, it was after BT left a tooth in Fiddlers shoulder in a fight. I believe that was what started a trend.

[BridgeBurner]

Aptorian;223911 said:

I think it was Hedge or some other soldier sitting next to Fiddler (I don't think the soldier was named), when WJ adressed them, that mockingly called him Fiddler. It was because they were talking about the broken fiddle he'd picked up in the ruins of the holy city.

And you're right it was Fiddler that gave Braven Tooth his name, it was after BT left a tooth in Fiddlers shoulder in a fight. I believe that was what started a trend.

Are you sure he picked up the fiddle when it was already broken, or that it got broken somewhere along the way? The scene in tBH suggests Fiddler has been playing the fiddle before. Remember Braven Tooth asking about the last time he played. I'm not sure if the 'naming Braven Tooth' thing was in GotM though...

I don't recall the fight thing, but it's been a while since I read the older books. I got the impression that Braven Tooth was already naming soldiers when Fiddler did it to him. But I admit that may have come fom my own Dutch army experiences (I had a bully sergeant in training too).

[Aptorian]

BridgeBurner;223927 said:

Are you sure he picked up the fiddle when it was already broken, or that it got broken somewhere along the way? The scene in tBH suggests Fiddler has been playing the fiddle before. Remember Braven Tooth asking about the last time he played. I'm not sure if the 'naming Braven Tooth' thing was in GotM though...

I don't recall the fight thing, but it's been a while since I read the older books. I got the impression that Braven Tooth was already naming soldiers when Fiddler did it to him. But I admit that may have come fom my own Dutch army experiences (I had a bully sergeant in training too).

All the braven tooth stuff is revealed in Bonehunters.

I'm not sure how long Fiddler had been carying the instrument. I'm also a little hazy on how experienced Fiddler was with that instrument. I remember it like Fiddler didn't even know how to play but some kind of magic over took him and he was able to play like no one has ever done before.

[Skywalker]

I think the Fiddle was broken when we first met Fiddler outside Pale, from Tattersail's POV, when he was accompanying WJ, QB, Sorry, Kalam, et al to Hairlock's transferrence

EDIT: Well whaddaya know? 200 posts!

[Aptorian]

It was broken in Raraku, which is something like 10-15 years before Pale. Do we actually see the fiddle in GotM? When does he lose it during the books?

Did he just not bring it with him to 7C to attract less attention?

[BridgeBurner]

@ sky walker: No, it was broken when the Bridgeburners finally caought up with QB, in Raraku. That was way before Pale.

@ Apt: I believe you on the BT stuff. I was going from memory on tBH. I do remember the naming Limp part though

[Skywalker]

BridgeBurner;223943 said:

@ sky walker: No, it was broken when the Bridgeburners finally caought up with QB, in Raraku. That was way before Pale

Didn't know it was broken in Raraku... but I meant to say 'It was already broken when we first met..." etc.

[Mentalist]

ok, ok....
Fiddler naming Braven Tooth is mentioned in HoC when he gets to know his squad and they talk to him bout it, then someone asks "How did he get his name" and Fiddler thinks to himself "I did", or somehting like that

The fiddle is shown in the Raraku flashback in MoI, where Hedge? complains that "he couldn't play it", implying that someone broke it to not listen to him play
Then the fiddle is seen in GotM prologue, during the Mouse Riots, where it is broken, and eventualy, lost, only to be recovered by Braven Tooth and returned to Fiddler in tBH.

[Zanth13]

kud13;223975 said:

ok, ok....
Fiddler naming Braven Tooth is mentioned in HoC when he gets to know his squad and they talk to him bout it, then someone asks "How did he get his name" and Fiddler thinks to himself "I did", or somehting like that

The fiddle is shown in the Raraku flashback in MoI, where Hedge? complains that "he couldn't play it", implying that someone broke it to not listen to him play
Then the fiddle is seen in GotM prologue, during the Mouse Riots, where it is broken, and eventualy, lost, only to be recovered by Braven Tooth and returned to Fiddler in tBH.

Im pretty sure he had it on him the whole time....though it might have been broken... I thought it was mentioned when he first showed up as strings that he something in the bottom of his bag he could never bring himself to get rid of... not matter if he did change his name


I might be wrong though...could have been a deck or something

[Crow Clan Baby]

Or his last Cusser.

More likely, actually, when I think of it.

[Dolorous Menhir]

Gem Windcaster;223727 said:

I am pretty sure Fiddler is someone special - there must be a reason for SE never mentioning his real name. The only one Fiddler has talked about his name to was the guy in DG - what's his name again? But I agree that WJ didn't want to mention Fiddler's real name to Rake - or anyone else...it's possible only WJ knew who he is.

He gave his real name to one of Kimloc's guards in DG. He didn't tell it to Kimloc. There's no doubt that SE concealed the name from us deliberately, but I don't think we can read anything special into it.

When Fiddler appears in the GotM prologue his fiddle is already scorched and broken. And I'm fairly sure that when he first appears in HoC as "Strings" he is torn up because he threw away his fiddle after all those years, but I could be wrong.

[Sinisdar Toste]

yeah he did throw it away, he doesnt get another until he goes to malaz to see the man about the crossbows.
and i think in BH when fiddler is remembering how he gave braven tooth his name he thinks something like 'back when all that naming business began'
ill do a quote hunt
edit: bah cant find it, but it was definitly fiddler or tooth who mentioned the time when the naming began

[BridgeBurner]

Dolorous Menhir;224019 said:

He gave his real name to one of Kimloc's guards in DG. He didn't tell it to Kimloc. There's no doubt that SE concealed the name from us deliberately, but I don't think we can read anything special into it.

I'm not sure if that's valid. But I have no proof to counter it as well. But I think that by touching Fiddler, Kimloc was able to get Fiddler's real name.

Dolorous Menhir;224019 said:

When Fiddler appears in the GotM prologue his fiddle is already scorched and broken. And I'm fairly sure that when he first appears in HoC as "Strings" he is torn up because he threw away his fiddle after all those years, but I could be wrong.

Is he really showing to be that much more torn up, compared to the end of DG? To me, he seemed like a veteran who made up his mind.

The worth of the name is in him playing the fiddle. So throwing away a broken one to cover for a new name shouldn't cause him that much harm. Certainly better than being recognized as a rebel.

[Dancer+]

BridgeBurner;224403 said:

I'm not sure if that's valid. But I have no proof to counter it as well. But I think that by touching Fiddler, Kimloc was able to get Fiddler's real name.

I totally agree, Kimloc learned Fiddler's whole story and the whole story of the BB's through the touch. Why he wouldn't learn Fiddler's name from this invasion is beyond my thought...

[Dolorous Menhir]

The Cult of Dessembrae;224420 said:

I totally agree, Kimloc learned Fiddler's whole story and the whole story of the BB's through the touch. Why he wouldn't learn Fiddler's name from this invasion is beyond my thought...

That may well be the case. But the first poster to bring this up said that Fiddler told Kimloc his name, and he didn't. He told it to one of Kimloc's guards when Kimloc wasn't present, and that's the only time I remember his true name getting the slightest mention in the series.

The more obvious point to make here is that Kimloc's guard would have passed on Fiddler's name to his boss, either at that time or later.

[Zanth13]

Dolorous Menhir;224519 said:

That may well be the case. But the first poster to bring this up said that Fiddler told Kimloc his name, and he didn't. He told it to one of Kimloc's guards when Kimloc wasn't present, and that's the only time I remember his true name getting the slightest mention in the series.

The more obvious point to make here is that Kimloc's guard would have passed on Fiddler's name to his boss, either at that time or later.

I dont remeber.. Did the guard recognize the name or show any reaction??? that could be a big clue thingy....

[Dolorous Menhir]

It said the guard looked a bit confused or mystified, which I put down to the fact that Fiddler gave a Falari name while posing as a Gral. It certainly wasn't an "I'm surprised to hear that name because I know it" reaction, it was a "I wasn't expecting to hear a name like that" reaction.

[Veilside]

xanth13;223978 said:

Im pretty sure he had it on him the whole time....though it might have been broken... I thought it was mentioned when he first showed up as strings that he something in the bottom of his bag he could never bring himself to get rid of... not matter if he did change his name


I might be wrong though...could have been a deck or something

I always figured it was his BB uniform, or atleast the insignia.

[Mulch]

I thought that fiddler was in his 70's perhaps older, I'll try to dig out the quote but I think it's in MOI